----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Date: Fri, 2 Oct 92 22:02:43 +0100
> From: Keld J|rn Simonsen <[log in to unmask]>
>
> In Europe it is common practice to input special characters
> by name in several word processors, like TeX, SGML, troff; in
> Wordperfect you do it by character code, and secretaries do this.
> In WordPerfect you can also input characters by name, like
> "alpha", "beta" etc, in formulae. But maybe you are not informed on
> European practice?
>
> I happen to think this practice is hopelessly outdated. A modern system
> should provide virtual keyboards and multiple input methods that allow the
> user to enter character data without recourse to knowing the names of
> characters, i.e., by having key mappings to the desired characters, by
> employing appropriate key(s) -> composite character sequence mappings, or by
> employing the necessary language representation conversion as needed to
> enter Han characters.
>
> Glenn
Well, yes, this may not be the technology that one is
dreaming of. But is it current technology and it will
be in use for many years to come. And this is the point.
I am talking about a fallback technology, and fallbacks are
only relevant if you do not have the real thing.
Fallbacks can also be utilized for producing the real thing,
in a kind of bootstrap mode.
So the notation is for the use of those users which
lack behind in technology, eg. todays 7-and 8-bit
users, which actually amounts to quite a few people, and
this population will only decline slowly.
keld